The Life: Sacrifice (The Life 3)

I brought up the fact that the weed seemed a bit more potent than the norm, and that’s when he let it be known that he was new to the drug and had only turned to it in the last few days to help ease his own burdens. He’d asked one of the others who in turn divulged that this particular dealer Frank had bought from was known for lacing his weed with other things, namely meth, to keep his clients coming back for more.

Since I still had my faculties about me and was indeed feeling better than I had, I saw no reason to stop, not even when I found myself naked beneath someone, not sure who; it may have been Frank, but I can’t be sure. After the hot and cold conditions of my marital bed added to the high, the sex was beyond anything I’d ever known, and so I stopped caring who or when in that first day and a half I was there.

I had a lot of energy and was no longer feeling desperate or like my life was coming to an end. In fact, listening to Frank, I started to build a new life in my head. According to Frank, he didn’t expect to be down on his luck for long and was only waiting for something to come through for him in the next couple of days. The fact that he seemed to like me only added fire to my new thoughts, and I guess you can say Frank and I grew close, forming a bond that it would take others years to build.

For this reason, I found it easy to share some of my past with dear old Frank, who listened and seemed to share my views on the whole situation. He seemed just as enraged as I when I told him about Felix’s deceit in keeping Adrienne’s things in storage, though I don’t quite recall how we got on the subject.

So, for this reason, I didn’t think twice when in a drug-induced rage, I let him talk me into going there to take care of the problem once and for all. I had no idea where the storage facility was since Felix never said, but Frank, being as smart as he is, used the process of elimination to narrow it down.

The fact that he had a car helped to reassure me that his story of having just fallen on hard times was true; I mean, how could he own a luxury vehicle had he not been who he said he was. His reasons for not living out of his car made sense too. It was more indeed more comfortable in the tent, which was roomier and warmer, with the little space heater he’d somehow rigged up using a portable battery-operated generator.

Having taken a hit just before leaving, I was feeling no pain once we started out on our little joyride. I was emboldened by Frank’s assertions that I was in the right, that Felix had done me dirty by going behind my back and keeping mementos of his ex-wife. Of course, I didn’t tell him about my part in Adrienne’s death since that was neither here nor there.

By the time we reached the place, Frank had sworn it was it, it was a breeze getting confirmation from the lady in the office who was more than forthcoming with the information, even going so far as to point out which storage unit had been rented by one Felix Fontane, since I had ID proving that I was his wife.

The more I thought of that portrait and what else could be in that unit, the more enraged I became, and even without Frank spurring me on further, I was ready to carry out my plans of revenge.

I’m sure the drug was responsible in part for my feeling of righteous indignation, but I was still in control of my senses. I grinned conspiratorially at Frank as I grabbed the can of gasoline from the trunk and even waved happily as I snuck around the back of the unit. I might’ve even hummed a ditty as I poured the gasoline all around the perimeter, giving no thought to the other structures because they had no meaning to me, and I simply didn’t care.

The first gush of flames made my heart sing; I’m not going to lie. Seeing what was left of Adrienne going up in flames went a long way to making up for the last few crappy weeks I’d endured because of her daughter. I rushed back around the front to make my escape and rejoin Frank, who we’d decided would be the lookout while I did the deed but came up short when there was no sign of Frank and instead ran smack dab into Felix, who was screaming like a lunatic.